Rail connecter for toy railways



\ A. R. FERGUSSON RAIL CONNECTER FOR TOY 'RAILWAYS Original Filed Sent.27. 1922 atented Uct. M31924,

ALAN 11-. FERGUSSON, 01E BUFFALO, NEW YOHLIEC.

RAIL CONNEGTER- FOB, TOY RAILWAYS.

Original application filed September 27, 1922, Serial No. 590,781, nowPatent No. 1,452,370, dated April,

17, 1923. Divided and this application filed April 3, 1923.

To all whom it may comer-n:

Be it known that l, ALAN R. Fnnoussorv, a'citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the countyof Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in'Rail Connectors for ToyRailways, of which the tollowingis a specification.

This invention relates to rail connectingor clamping devices for toy orminiature railways, and is a division of my copending allowed.application for toy railway, Serial No. 590,781, filed September 27.1922, now Patent No. 1,452,370, dated April 17, 1923.

An object of this invention is to provide a clamping device particularlyadapted for the purpose of detachably or releasably clamping orconnecting together a'rail and a supporting tie of a toy track section.

A further object of this invention is to provide an efficient and easilymanipulated clamping device having a semi-circular channel or guttermember for clamping a cylindrical body or wire rail to its supporting:means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an efiicient andrelatively cheap connecting or clamping device for releasably connectingtogether a pair of cylindrical members such as a cylindrical wire railand tie, preferably located one at right angles to the other.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following;description and appended t claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein likereference characters indicate corresponding parts in the sev eral viewsand wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view partly broken away illustrating myimproved connecting device as applied to a toy railway section; Fig. 2is a perspective view of the connecter or clampmg device; Fig, 3 is afragmentary perspective view illustrating the lower part of the deviceand Fig. 4.-

is a detail perspective view illustrating the parts of the device.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode ofoperation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention isnot limited to the details of construction and arrangement of partswhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inventionis capable of other Serial No. 629,739.

embodiments, and that the phraseology which'I employ is for the purposeof description and. not of limitation.

Thepresent improved clamp or clip device-is adapted for use particularlywith a wire formed toy railway; sectlon and as shown .111 Fig. 1 1sespecially adapted-for the purpose of detachably connecting a cyliw.

drical and preferably a wire formed rail such as a power rail to acylindrical cross tie, such as a wire formed tie.

For the purpose of illustrating the particular application or use of thepresent in- A detachable.

of this device cylindrical wire or body is releasably connected to acylindrical wire or body extending transversely thereto. The clamp initspreferred form comprises preferably a pair ofsubstantially similarmembers insulated one from the other and interlocked in invertedrelation through the medium of the insulation. Each of these memberscomprises a body member 12 preterably cut to the required shape fromsheet metal and bent up or coiled to form a pair of curved side walls 13and 14. These curved'walls are open at the top so that the longitudinaledges 15 and 16 are spaced apart throughout the length of the device.The side walls 13 and 14.- form a channel or gutter into which the wire11 may be in sorted, and it will be noted that the side 'or'wire rail11.

As a result of this construction when the wire or cylindrical rail ispressed through the opening at the top of the clamp the side walls 13and 14 will spread or spring apart to permit the wire to be seated inthe channel. Thereupon the semi-circular walls of cylindrical body orwire.

the clamp or clip will spring back into place andenc be easily detachedfrom thejaws orwall's 13 and 14 by pulling the wireand clip apart, 1O

the j tatements t ns thi iepe tion, whicli'ispermitted by the fact thatthe jaws jonwalls l3 and 14; embrace the wire only to a fPQintavfraction beyond, its center line. Furthermore since the sem -circular,wall s or spring-jaws of the clamp embrace c tenc rcle only ai fractionmoi e than one halfofthe circumference ofthe wire rail 7 1 1, thewheel'or jrollerv-on the enginewvill I or member vice tenninate W iitravel overjthe: top of; the ,WlIQ without .hit-

tins aid 1%; E ac-h orcontac'ting with the clamp Walls 18 of theclipfmembe rs forming the de- 1 projecting portions 17 re bent undertojformf hook. shaped These bent tongues 18 are sei to a piece ofinsulating" ma- 9, and the; gutters or clip members i tinned atrightangles toeac'h ot ier, per member A having the channel open- 7 the top,thereof andthe lower gutter Bfbein'g in inverted .p'o sit ionwith rel 'in t th upper memb A d v s the,channel'opening' at the bottom thereof.

It will'of course-be noted tha -1211c inverted clip member adaptedtoflbe releasably connected ,to cylindrical or, wire cross -ti'e;,thel'e-tter bei g" p ung nt th hanml of the l'ower glitter member B,while. the

' d, rail is sprung intolthe channel fonned' bythe upper gutter memberA;

,Each semi-circular channel of the inverted parts. A BIenc e.s fi qie iy es 9 the ylindrical W r '1 0x19 o as t pe m se t fie sp I i lbeinsulating tense-t a esidedg of t e s un.

and preyenting any substantially relative.

mo emen ihet ns la-t g member. 19 or ving a, n1ea nfs through themedium;of which the -i i 11 m mber's Av an Bare; inte d and in latecl e fr m thoth the mmense qfieininsthe pp sed ends 22,

- and weir fwi-rera semi circular 1. am mte ed a 205 as to f m cesses'for receiving the bent, tongues 1718 rail to be sprung into positiontherein, thus providing a resili-ent gri )ping-clampl and e'nds 22 and23.

It will be understood thatthe curyed: walls l3 atnd 14 of, upper guttermember K may be" of any desired height so as to hold a cylindrical bodytherebetween, and may extend to any desired height beyond the centerline of the channel; If it is desired to per manently hold acylindricalbody between the curved side Walls, the same may extend to asomewhat greater height and the vire or cylindrical body inserted orthreaded end- Wi'se into the channel between thTesemi-cin cular sidewalls. i f

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein anyparticulanforn structure. or arrangement,' it is not intended to limitthe invention beyond. the terms of the several claims onthe requirementsof the prior art. 7 j

Having thus explained the nature of my without attempting to set forth"all of. the

forms in. whichit may be made, or, all ofi the modes of its use, Iclaim:

1. A clamping device-for clamping a wire rail of a toy railway andcomprising a sheet metal body member bent to form a pair ofsubstantially semicircular expansible and" contractible walls,and meanslocated at the bent portion thereof for secl'u'ingit in position." p

2'. A clamping device for clamping a Wire rail .of a toy railway andcomprisinga sheet metal body member having a pair of expansible andcontractible side Walls forming a semicircular channel having anopeningat the top f less width than. the, diameter ofsaid channel, andmeans at the botfor securing it in pomember bent to form a pair ofresilient substantially semicircular walls having free edges projectingtoward each other and spaced apart, said body member havingat the bentportion thereof means for "securing it in position."

4. ,A. clamping device for clamping a wire rail of a toy railway andcomprising a b ody memberbent to form a pair of resrhent substantiallysemicircular walls haying free edges pro ecting-toward each otherandspaced apart, said body-member having at the bent portion thereofmeans for securing it in position, and comprisinga pair of pp sed. ho km ng m m ers-i 5. A clamping device for clamping a wire formed rail andtie of a toy railway toether and comprising a pair of clip memhersconnected together back to back and each having a similarly formedgutter whereby said gutters are located in inverted relation, one ofsaid gutters having spring walls for gripping a rail or tie.

6. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair of clipmembers connected together and having each a gutter, and insulatingmeans through the medium of which said members are rigidly interlocked.

7. In a device of the class described the combination of a pair of clipmembers connected together and having each a gutter, and insulatingmeans for connecting said members together in inverted relation.

8. A rail connecter for toy railways comprising a sheet metal memberbent to form resilient side walls having spaced free edges adapted togrip a wire rail below the top thereof, said member having means locatedat the bent portion thereof for securing it in position.

9. A rail connecter for toy railways comprising a sheet metal memberbent to form resilient side walls having spaced free edges adapted togrip a wire rail below the top thereof, said member having at oppositeends thereof a pair of clip forming portions for securing it inposition.

10. A device of the class described comprising a pair of similarsubstantially semicircular gutter members, insulating means locatedbetween said members, and said members having parts thereof bent toembrace said insulating means.

11. A device of the class described comprising a pair of similarsubstantially semicircular gutter members positioned in invertedrelation, insulating means located between said members, and saidmembers having parts thereof bent to embrace said insulating means.

12. A device of the class described com prising a pair of substantiallysemi-circular gutter members extending one transversely to the other andinsulating means for connecting said members together.

13. A device of the class described com prising a pair of substantiallysemi-circular gutter members extending one transversely to the other andinsulating means for connecting said members together, one of saidmembers having a longitudinal opening at the outer part thereof and ofless 1Bvidth than the diameter of the gutter mem- 14. The combination ofa clamp member comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical gutter, andan insulating strip, said gutter terminating in a projecting portionbent to embrace an edge of said strip.

15. The combination of a pair of transversely located clamp memberslocated one above the other, and insulating means thru the medium ofwhich said members are interconnected.

16. A rail connecter comprising a body member having a pair of opposededges bent in one direction to form a, channel. and having a pair ofopposed edges bent in the opposite direction to form a channel havingresilient walls.

17. A rail connecter having a pair of inverted gutter portions extendingone transversely to the other, one adapted to be connected to a rail andthe other to a cross tie, and one or both of said gutter portions havingspring side walls.

Signed at Buffalo, New York, this 28th day of March 1923.

ALAh R. FERGUSSON.

